Best eco-friendly gifts to save the planet

It’s not new news that the planet is getting hotter, autumn is dead, there are mosquitos more places more of the time, hurricanes are getting worse … you get the idea. Everyone loves giving gifts for the holidays, but the best gift we can give to one another right now is a leg up in the fight against climate change and other pending ecological doom. On that cheery note, here are some perpetually eco-friendly gifts to help your loved ones help Earth:

Best for coffee lovers: Zojirushi Stainless Steel MugBest for canning: Ball Glass Mason JarsBest charger: Anker 24W Three-port Foldable USB Solar ChargerBest for home cooks: Modfamily Silicone Stretch LidsBest for cleaning: Microfiber Mop Pads by Easily GreenerBest for make-up removal: ProCIV Reusable Organic Cotton PadsBest for the bathroom: Luxe Bidet Neo 120Best snack: Cricket Bites

Best for coffee lovers: Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug

Let’s start off with something fairly universal: a reusable coffee mug. The US throws out around 108 billion disposable cups per year, so there’s a lot of room for improvement here. Several PopSci staffers insist—quite passionately—that the Zojirushi is far and away the best travel mug in existence. It comes in a whole bunch of snazzy matte colors, making it a top choice for best eco-friendly gifts.

Best for canning: Ball Glass Mason Jars

If your hipster cousin has already eschewed travel mugs in favor of mason jars, get them some real pretty mason jars. Actually, just buy everyone mason jars. They’re genuinely great, and these are a nice retro shade of blue.

Best charger: Anker 24W Three-port Foldable USB Solar Charger

Something else you don’t have to be a huge eco-nerd to appreciate: a way to charge your devices on the go. Anker is a reliable brand for thing kind of thing, and their 24W Three-Port USB Solar Charger is a top seller in its category on Amazon. It’s on the bigger side—clearly designed to drape over a backpack during a hike—but folds down small enough that anyone who commutes with a backpack or tote could bring it around for everyday use. Give the gift of going off the grid.

Best for home cooks: Modfamily Silicone Stretch Lids

Look, not every gift has to be super glitzy. Some of the best eco-friendly gifts are just incredibly useful. Silicone stretch lids definitely fall in that category. Use them to seal up bowls of leftovers—or half-cut-up fruits and veggies—so you waste less food! Use one as an impromptu mason jar lid! Go wild!

Best for cleaning: Microfiber Mop Pads by Easily Greener

OK, so, yes, the point of a Swiffer is that it’s like a mop, but the gross part is disposable. If your giftee owns a washing machine, why not provide them with one of the best eco-friendly gifts and encourage them to find a happy medium?

Best for make-up removal: ProCIV Reusable Organic Cotton Pads

Sometimes it doesn’t even occur to us how wasteful the products we use every day are—or how easy it would be to make a reusable version. Case in point: make-up removing pads. Get this eco-friendly version for the eyeliner-lover in your life. And if they balk, just make sure they know that the same company also sells reusable toilet paper. They’re getting off easy.

Best for the bathroom: Luxe Bidet Neo 120

A responsibly used bidet will clean your bum using just a few gallons of water per week. The alternative is to use about half a roll of toilet paper, which takes around 18.5 gallons of water to produce. This one pops right onto existing toilet hardware. Give the gift of a cleaner tuchus.

Best snack: Cricket Bites

Eating bugs: it’s good for the planet. Like, really good. And it doesn’t have to be even a little bit gross; it can actually be super tasty. Give your loved ones a sweet and gentle introduction to entomophagy with Cricket Bites. These protein-packed chips come in a three-pack featuring savory flavors: Hickory Smoked Bacon, Cheesy Ranch, and Buffalo Wing Sauce—and they’re also made from crickets in Portland, Oregon. Everybody wins.

The post Best eco-friendly gifts to save the planet appeared first on Popular Science.

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